Topic: Are Women Allowed to visit Graveyards? Posted: 09 March 2009 at 4:19pm

Assalam-0-Alaikum...

Are women allowed to visit graves of their loved ones according to Islamic Teachings??

Can she offer Namaz-e-Janaza??

And The other thing i wanted to ask is that once i went to the death ceremony of My friend's Sisiter... All were weeping and toching the dead body but after giving her "Ghussal", some women said my friend not to touch the dead body (as she was in her periods).... So i want to know that couldn't she touch her sister (Before or After giving her Ghussal) in that condition??

Wa-laikum- asalaam.
Yes, women are allowed to visit graveyards, pray Janaza, and to touch their love ones when they pass. It has been reported in many hadith that we can mourn the person who died but not to wail,weep, and or scream over the body.

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said "Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it.Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished." (IMAM BUKHARI)

In general, women are soft hearted and they tend to cry and lament over the graves, especially if the graves belong to their loved ones. It is for this reason that the Shariah prohibits them from visiting the graves.

However, if a woman feels that she can control herself and her object is to benefit spiritually, then she shall be permitted to visit the graveyards on condition that she is old and adheres to the Shari’ pardah. Young women are not permitted to visit the graveyard under any circumstance.

Moreover, there is a strong possibility that their visiting the graveyard leads to other vices; and it is incorrect to commit a haram act to fulfill a desirable act. Therefore, it is advisable that the women do not visit the graveyard at all, whether young or old.

Imam Bukhari has recorded a Hadith of Sayyidatuna Umm Atiyya (Radhiallaahu Anha) that she said, 'We were prohibited from following the Janaaza, i.e. until the graveyard.' (Bukhari Hadith No.1278; See Fathul Baari vol.3 pg.187) Imam Tirmidhi (RA) has recorded a Hadith of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) has mentioned, 'May Allah Ta'ala curse women who visits the graves.' Imaam Tirmidhi has graded this Hadith as Sahih - authentic (Sunan Tirmidhi vol.1 pg.203) A similar narration is recorded by Imaam Abu Dawud on the authority of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Abbaas (Radhiallaahu Anhu).

However, many of the scholars are of the opinion that the above law has been obliterated by the following narration recorded by Imaam Muslim in his Sahih on the authority of Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas'ood (Radhiallaahu Anhu) that Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) mentioned, 'I had prevented you from visiting the grave, (as of now) you all should visit it for it reminds one of the Aakhirat.' (Sahih Muslim) Based on this, the previous law mentioned above was abrogated. Hence, the permissibility of visiting the graveyard includes males and females. However, the reason for prohibiting females from visiting graves is due to our corrupted environment wherein women who do not adhere to the laws of Hijaab and hence strange men are attracted towards them.

Therefore, it is not permissible for young females to visit the graveyard. However, if the laws of the Shariah (Hijaab, intermingling, crying, etc.) are not violated then the prohibition may be set aside. Since generally the women visiting the graves are not free from the above aspects, they should refrain from doing so. If a female visits the grave to remember death and soften without crying . there is nothing wrong if they are old. It is Makrooh (not permissible) if they are young

Salaam. Here is a fatwa that you can read a little more about women in a funeral, etc...May Allah guide and help us all learn about our deen correctly.
Title
Women Accompanying Funeral Procession

Question
Can women go for funerals?

Date
08/Jan/2004

Name of Counsellor:
A Group of Islamic Researchers

Topic
Funerals

Answer:

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for showing keenness on knowing the teachings of Islam, and we appreciate the great confidence you have in us. We hope our efforts meet your expectations.

With regard to your question, if you mean by going for funeral offering Salat-ul-Janazah (funeral prayer), then, according to Shari`ah, it is permissible and there is no evidence to forbid it, yet it is not obligatory upon women.

Here, Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, former president of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), states:

“Salat-ul-Janazah (funeral prayer) is a Fard Kifayah ( collective obligation) on men. This means that it’s a duty for the Muslim community to perform that prayer. If a Muslim dies in a community and some Muslims offer the funeral prayer for the deceased, then the duty will be deemed as being discharged on behalf of every one. However, failing to offer such a prayer incurs sin on the whole community, due to negligence. It is permissible for women to pray Salat-ul-Janazah with other Muslims in Jama`ah (congregation), but it is not obligatory upon them. This indicates that women do not have to leave their homes to attend the funeral prayer; however if they are available or wish to go to the funeral prayer, they are allowed to do so.”

In his book Fiqh-us-Sunnah, the late Azharite scholar Sheikh Sayyed Sabiq (may Allah bless his soul), adds:

“A woman, like a man, may offer a funeral prayer, singly or in a congregation. In fact, once when Umm `Abdullah offered funeral prayer for `Utbah, `Umar waited until she finished. `Aa’ishah ordered the body of Sa`d Ibn Abi Waqqas to be brought to her so that she could offer a funeral prayer over him.

An-Nawawi concludes: "Women may offer Salat-ul-Janazah in congregation just as they are permitted to perform other Sunnah prayers. Al-Hasan Ibn Saleh, Sufiyan Al-Thawri, Ahmad, and the Hanafi School also hold the same view. Malik, however, is of the opinion that women should offer Salat-ul-Janazah individually.”

Having clarified the above, we can add that if you mean by the phrase “going for funeral” joining or accompanying the funeral procession and carrying the dead to the grave, we would like to cite for you the fatwa given by Sheikh `Attiyyah Saqr, former head of Al-Azhar Fatwa Committee, in which he states the following:

“The Hadith reported as regards women following funeral procession is recorded by Al-Bukhari and Muslim on the authority of Umm `Atiyyah, who narrates: “We have been forbidden to accompany funeral processions but not strictly.” This implies, as Ibn Hajar states in Fath Al-Bari, that she meant they were not recommended to accompany funeral processions, but not forbidden to do so.

So, the warning in the Hadith is meant for Karaha Tanzihiyyah (proper disapproval) This is the view of the majority of scholars; however Imam Malik holds that it is permissible, and this is the opinion of the People of Madina, as Al-Qurtbi states. What supports the permissibility is the Hadith of Ibn Abi Shayba, who reports that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was attending a funeral and `Umar saw a woman (following the funeral procession). He yelled at her, but the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: “Leave her, `Umar! Verily her eyes shed tears, the soul feels the pangs, and the promised hour is near."

All Hadiths which forbid women to accompany funeral procession are weak. What is prohibited is doing something haram while accompanying the funeral procession, according to the Hadiths: "He who (on befalling a calamity) slaps his cheeks, tears his clothes and follows the ways and traditions of the Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic period) is none of us."

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said "Be kind, for whenever kindness becomes part of something, it beautifies it.Whenever it is taken from something, it leaves it tarnished." (IMAM BUKHARI)

Yes it is not forbidden but also not recommended for young women to go graveyard.

[Therefore, it is not permissible for young females to visit the graveyard. However, if the laws of the Shariah (Hijaab, intermingling, crying, etc.) are not violated then the prohibition may be set aside. Since generally the women visiting the graves are not free from the above aspects, they should refrain from doing so. If a female visits the grave to remember death and soften without crying . there is nothing wrong if they are old. It is Makrooh (not permissible) if they are young ]

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